May 21, 2008

Green Beans for Green Bean Haters!My family LOVES green beans. I on the other hand wouldn't care if I never ate another - until I came up with this recipe! I LOVE these and my family eats them like ice cream!

 

Sour Cream Noodle CasseroleRamen noodles and their flavor packets can combine with cheese, sour cream, chilies, olives and pimientos to make an inexpensive casserole.

 

Lazy Day CasseroleSaute' onions and celery in oil in skillet. Brown ground chuck in skillet, stirring until crumbly. Pour off drippings. Add vegetables, rice and soups.

 

Chocolate Marshmallow DessertCream sugar and butter until light; add 3 egg yolks and beat well. Add chocolate syrup, marshmallows and nuts. Mix well. Fold in stiff beaten egg whites.

 

Creamy Strawberry DessertBeat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping, thawed strawberries and marshmallows. Spread over crust.

 

Decorating Old Wooden WindowsIdeas for decorating old wooden windows, for inside and outside use. Advice as suggested by the ThriftyFun community.

 

Rascal (Lhasa Mix)Rascal is 6 years old and is a lhasa mix. I got him from a newspaper ad in 2002.

 

Flowers for an ICU PatientWhen my sister-in-law was in the ICU for an extended period, we weren't allowed to visit and she wasn't allowed to have flowers or gifts, but she did have a bulletin board, so I got a little creative with my get well wishes.

 

Experimental Decorating With What You HaveI have a friend who is relocating for her new job and doesn't want to bring anything with her - or even buy new furniture, as she doesn't know how long she will be there. If I were her, I would use it as a chance to do some cheap experimental decorating.

 

Heath Toffee CandyThis is soooo good. I always get raves from the people who eat it. It is habit forming. I always give 1/2 of it away or i would eat it all.

 

Tips For Caring For Your ParakeetThe easiest way to clean the cage is to simply pull the slide out tray to the utility sink and use the sprayer and a putty knife to scrape. First I dump seeds into the trash then spray with hot hot water, then I feel secure in knowing it is sanitized.

 

Home Electronics: Use What You've GotFriends of ours recently splurged to purchase satellite radio hookups for both of their cars and their home. They also purchased a surround sound package for their living room to give the 'movie theater affect' to their TV.

 

Apple Card and TagThis folded apple note card with a matching gift tag is made from cardstock in natural red, ivory, brown, and green. Ideal to send as a birthday greeting for children or simply to say hello to a friend. You might also like to make a batch of these for gift-giving.

 

Copy and Paste Recipes Into Text FilesWhen going through the recipes and other stuff, instead of printing out the whole thing or writing it down, I copy it to a word processing program. First I open my office writer or Microsoft Word.

 

Packing Dishes and LinensUse towels, wash cloths, and sheets to wrap lamps, dishes, and other fragile items. Not only will it help to prevent breakage during a move, they also stay clean, so you do not have to rewash and clean everything after moving.

 

Fruit Salad With SherbetMy parents went on a weekend get-away when I was a teenager, and were served this dish in the restaurant at their hotel. Upon returning home, my mother re-created it and it is delicious!

 

Use Plastic Containers for Dollhouse PoolsTake the plastic containers that come ready to eat with chips and salsa and clean it out. These make excellent swimming pools for your miniature house layouts. Usually they come in black but you can paint them to resemble a swimming pool. Great recycle project

 

Itching For SpringMy 3 year old must have been itching for some spring weather (finally got some a few weeks ago)

 

Make Your Own Model Railroad StructuresThis is one for all you model railroad fans. My husband takes and makes his own structures out of cardboard. He saves tons of money that way.

 

Aiden's Mother's Day DoorhangerThis started out as a door hanger he could make for his mom. Grandma's Idea: The door hanger would look cute with all these little hand and foot prints all over it. Aiden's Idea: All it really needs is two hands and two feet (after all, isn't that what we have?)

 

Plant A Row For The HungryIn 1995, the Garden Writers Association started a public service campaign called Plant a Row for the Hungry. The program's goal was to help stamp out hunger. Here is how you can be a gardener who are helps to feed the hungry each year by giving away a row of what you grow.

 

Keeping Your Just Picked StrawberriesStrawberry picking is arriving. To keep them fresh, store them in a cool dry place. Make sure you wash them in cold water. Then blot dry with paper towels. If you want to freeze them hull them, wash them and blot them dry.

 

Gift Card PurseI'm a rubber stamper/scrapper/paper crafter. This is a photo of one of my hand stamped "purses" and matching card. I usually make 6 cards for each "purse" and give them as gifts.

 

Work With Your Existing Color SchemeSometimes, we find ourselves living on a limited budget with decor colors we have grown tired of. I discovered that using a selection of paint chips, color wheel know-how, and a decorator magazine or two can help you create a fresh look while saving a lot of money!

 

Place Wet Towel Around a Cake Pan for Flatter CakesCut old towel the height of the cake pan and length of the circumference or perimeter of the pan. If the towel is thin, make it twice the height and fold in in half lengthwise.

 

Uses for Plastic Bacon PackagingI use the piece of plastic found underneath the bacon in each package. It is flimsy enough to cut with regular scissors, yet strong enough to use many times over.

 

Looking For A Laminate Alternative?I am appalled at the price of laminate. The piece I want and only need 4 feet of, I have to pay the 8 foot price! I bought a beautiful china hutch, I am taking the top off for the bathroom vanity. Now my question is, since the prices are so high, what about just polyresining the heck out of the top of the vanity? Would this work and last? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Paint Not Sticking To Particle Board Cabinets?I painted the sides of our island -- over the laminate/particle board that is made to look like the cabinets. First I tried sanding it and painting and it would not work -- the paint wasn't holding in some places. Then I tried liquid sander. That seemed to work, but some spots of paint are still wiping right off. Is there any hope to fix this? I put more liquid sander on and painted over it again but I don't know what else to do. I looks great, but I'm afraid one scuff of a shoe is going to take the paint right off. Thanks!

 

Plastic Toys Smell Like Smoke?I purchased some plastic figurines on Ebay, they all smell like smoke. Even the small accessories they came with smell like smoke. How can I get rid of the smell?

 

Where Can I Find Building Supplies Donations?Where can I find donations of usable building materials and scrap? I take care of unwanted animals and find them homes and am in need of materials for houses and pens. Any usable scrap lumber, unused landscaping timbers or railroad ties, fencing scraps. Anything will be appreciated!

 

Advice For Organizing The Refrigerator?When you have too many things to fit into the fridge and then need to place a large casserole dish on a shelf, how do you arrange stacking? Any special gizmos?

 

Making A Chess Set Out Of Recyclables?I'm trying to do a Chess Set out of recyclables for a 4-H project. Does anyone have any ideas on good things to use. I don't want it to be a huge set, so any ideas that are small would be GREAT. I'm also trying to figure out some other crafty ideas, so any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

Are Macs Good Computers?Is a Mac a good computer? Why?

 

Removing Lime Deposits from Your Shower?Does anyone know of a way to clean lime from clear shower doors?

 

How Can I Preserve Dried Roses for a Long Time?I have been drying roses for years. I use them in different ways. My problem is the microscopic insects (?) that powder them. I have never been able to use them for more than a year. Even storing them in airtight containers doesn't help.